We Still Here

"As the editors and essay contributors of We Still Here: Hip Hop North of the 49th Parallel well understand, identity in terms of hip hop in Canada has everything to do with the diaspora of cultures across the nation's provinces and cities ... Indigenous voices, immigrant stories, linguistic diversity, gender, and generational divides are at the forefront of this exploration of hip hop's evolution as a medium both of expression and entertainment in Canada since the mid-1980s, a period in hip hop history dominated largely by what was happening in New York and LA. If you're the type of hip hop fan who views knowledge as the fifth element, this book is absolutely for you." Montreal Review of Books

"We Still Here goes deep into the different identities, communities, and practices that create Canadian hip hop. It offers comprehensive analyses of indigenous hop hop in urban and non-urban dimensions, the rich contexts constituted by the black community in Nova Scotia, queer hip hop, and early suburban hip hop in Toronto. A significant strength of the collection is the number of female voices represented. The sense is conveyed of a national hip hop culture in which women are absolutely essential." Will Straw, McGill University

"This is a rich collection compiled for a broad readership - academic and non-academic - and it invites all into awareness and contemplation of the rooted hip hop legacies and practices framing and shaping the Canadian context." University of Toronto Quarterly